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Rapper-Actor Lil' Zane Hopes for Triumphant Return

By Vanessa St. Leger
Black College Wire

Wearing a pair of oversized jeans and his favorite throwback jersey, the young man ran from location to location. For the next 24 hours, his itinerary was packed. He was finishing his last scene in the upcoming movie “The Fighting Temptations.” Then he took off for the studio to lay down some vocals for an album. In between, he held a telephone interview to promote other new projects. He's been out of sight for a while but that doesn't mean he hasn't been working hard. This time around, he's out to prove what he's really all about.

Zane Copeland, the 20-year-old rapper and heartthrob to many teenage girls, is returning for a second go-round in the music industry. Copeland has a brand new flavor.

"To all those who got the wrong perception of Lil' Zane, get ready to be introduced to the real Zane," said the artist enthusiastically.

While away from the spotlight for almost two years, the rapper made many transitions. He is working on his sophomore LP, "It Ain't Over," on his new record label, Capitol/Priority Records. Zane has also changed his management team and shortened his stage name. He's just not “lil'” anymore. And Zane will take on much more responsibility on this recording, as executive producer.

Aside from music, Zane has been working on a second claim to fame. He took on the role of Derek, one of the rappers in a gospel choir in “The Fighting Temptations.” He is playing alongside Beyoncé Knowles, member of the Grammy award-winning group Destiny's Child, and Oscar award-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr. "He's cool," Zane said of Gooding, "a role model . . . No. I believe your parents are your role models. He's a strong inspiration."

With a star-studded cast, the movie is expected to be a box office hit. Zane said he was not intimidated by the cast or the movie's high profile: "It's all good; a great experience. I'm just preparing for my part and trying to get better," he said.

Zane has always been a persistent and hard worker. Born on July 11, 1982, in Yonkers, N.Y., he began writing and rhyming at age 10. At 11, after his family moved south, he started to enter talent shows in Atlanta. After one show, he approached the CEO of World Wide Entertainment, Kevin Wales, and told him he wanted to be a star. "To have so much stage presence and be so good at a young age is definitely what struck me about him," Wales said. They built a relationship that in 1998 landed him an appearance on an album by the R&B group 112.

Zane was officially becoming a part of the industry he had long dreamed about. He was picked to perform the leadoff single on the “Next Friday” soundtrack. By the time his debut album was finished, Lil' Zane was already well-known.

Stardom has its pitfalls, he said. "Sometimes you do [things] you don't want to do. There's less privacy. You give up 80 percent of your personal life. Sometimes you don't want to give an autograph but you do anyway. It becomes regular life, you know. I mean, they ask everything about you." Despite the negatives, he said he still finds it a learning experience and very worthwhile.

Zane's debut album, "Young World: The Future" was released in 2000. With it came movie proposals. He was offered the lead role in the 2000 movie “Finding Forrester,” featuring Sean Connery, but settled for a smaller role because of time constraints. He also appeared in an Atlanta play called "Mad Heart," the UPN sitcom “The Parkers,” and later the Eddie Murphy movie, “Dr. Dolittte 2.” Zane has used an acting coach from time to time, saying he doesn't want to be one of those rappers who appears in a film and the audience says, "He should stick to rapping."

What else has Zane been up to? Creating his own label.

Zane has grown up since the day the public was introduced to the 5'4'', athletically built, 17-year-old with the adorable cheeks. Wiser than his years, he leaves his fans with a few words of advice: "Don't stop, keep trying, and make your own decisions."

”The Fighting Temptations” is scheduled for release on Aug. 8 and is rated PG-13. Zane's new LP, "It Ain't Over" is to be in stores later this year.

Vanessa St. Leger is a student at Howard University who writes for The District Chronicles. She can be reached at [email protected].

Posted May 22, 2003